Free Play Mechanics at Online Casinos

Published on: August 18, 2010 

All online casinos allow players to play with free money. They have nothing to lose because the infrastructure is already available and everything to gain because a fair proportion of players who start out with free money eventually end up wagering with real money. The players too are at an advantage. They can assess the nature of online casino gambling, learn how to play the games and select suitable online casinos without having to stake any funds at all. There are two prevalent mechanics of free money play at online casinos and this article discusses both.

One mechanism is followed by download online casinos. Players are required to register by entering their personal particulars. While doing so they specify that they want to wager with free money. Hence they are not required to select a deposit option or provide banking details. They are allotted a free money account with a starting balance. When the players place bets the balance gets reduced and when they win the balance gets increased. When the players switch games or even exit the casino their free money account is maintained. However, they cannot withdraw the funds from the casino.

If the free money balance becomes zero then the players can replenish the free money account. The general procedure is described below, and it would differ in detail with different software providers. When the player does not have sufficient balance to cover his proposed bet he receives a text message on the screen asking him if he wants to purchase more credits. When he confirms that he wants to, he is taken to the banking section of the online casino. There the player can select the amount of free money that he wants. Some online gaming software providers compel the player to select from given options, whereas others allow the player to enter a figure from a specified range. Usually the player will be asked to confirm his selection. On doing so, the banking section will display the details of the transaction, such as date and amount, and take the player back to the casino game. The balance of free money displayed in the game will be the enhanced one.

The second mechanism of free play is found in certain instant play casinos that neither requires the player to register nor maintain his account. When the player opens a game in a free play mode there is a default initial balance available for wagering. Some software providers allow players to select the starting balance of free money. After wagering when the player closes the game the last balance of free money and record of all transactions is erased. If the player reopens the game or opens another game he starts with a fresh initial balance. In this mechanism if the player runs out of free money while wagering he cannot reload the balance. He has to exit from the game. If he wants to continue wagering on that game he has to open the game again and start fresh.

There is a word of caution for free money players. They should not wager indiscriminately with free money just because it is not costing them any thing. The discipline they acquire while wagering with free money will help them when they switch over to real money wagering.

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